By Justin Juul
Hey! Learn some history, dude.
I don’t know exactly how you’re going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year (or have celebrated it already) , but odds are it’s going to involve excessive drinking, a BBQ grill, and a few of your close friends. I mean that’s what it’s all about right? Drinking Mexican beer in the sun? Well, the simple answer is yes. Cinco de Mayo is one of those holidays, like St Patrick’s Day and Easter, that most Americans use as another excuse to drink beer when they should be working. But have you ever wondered what it’s really all about? I mean, the fifth of May wasn’t just picked randomly by The Corona Corporation was it? The date must signify something.
After a long weekend of cerveza and sun, The Guardian got to feeling a little guilty about its ignorant participation in the traditional (and early) Cinco de Mayo celebration at Dolores Park and decided to ask Paul Ortiz, professor of Latino/African American History at UC Santa Cruz and author of Emancipation Betrayed, to share his insights on the holiday.
SFBG: What exactly is Cinco de Mayo a celebration of?
Paul Ortiz: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of a Mexican militia force over Napoleon III's army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. France sought to take advantage of a nation still reeling from the impact of The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the resulting internal strife. The French planned to install a puppet dictatorship in Mexico and they landed their imperial army in the state of Veracruz to implement this plan. The French expected little or no opposition. Instead, the Mexican people organized a volunteer militia and met the French expeditionary force near Puebla.
The Mexican soldiers were outnumbered and faced troops with superior military training and leadership. In spite of this, these citizen soldiers prevailed over the French and defeated them on the field of battle.
The remarkable victory at Puebla provided a much-needed sense of pride to an embattled nation. The French defeat also prevented Napoleon III from intervening in the U.S. Civil War on the side of the Confederate States of America. After the end of the Civil War, the U.S. assisted Mexico in expelling the remaining French occupying forces. Thus, Cinco de Mayo is a truly American day of celebration!
SFBG: I heard they don’t really celebrate the holiday in Mexico. If that’s true, then why do we celebrate it here?
Ortiz: Today, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in and around Puebla and other parts of Veracruz. During the twentieth century, Mexican American communities began using the day to remember their shared past as well as to express their public sense of belonging in the United States.
Beginning in 2006, many Mexican-American communities began combining Cinco de Mayo and International Workers' Day (May 1) as concurrent days of commemorating our struggles for dignity and economic justice. We have seen this especially on the Central Coast of California, Los Angeles, and the U.S. southwest.
Paul Ortiz
SFBG: What do most Mexican-Americans think about the whole Spring Break let's-get-drunk mentality the beer companies seem to pump?
Ortiz: Cinco de Mayo is not about getting drunk. In fact, most Mexican-Americans I know do not approve of this commodification of Cinco de Mayo. Like most holidays throughout the Americas -- Christmas being one example -- Cinco de Mayo has become a commodified event. Corporations peddling beer, food, and other items obviously have targeted Mexican Americans and have tried to create markets for higher consumption of liquor and beverages on the 5th of May. After all, this is the way that capitalism works!
In reality however, the great majority of Cinco de Mayo events in the U.S. do not serve liquor. These events are held on church grounds, as the church is a central institution among many Mexican Americans. In fact, my wife and I attended a major Cinco de Mayo event this weekend in Davenport, California sponsored by the Davenport Resource Center. We celebrated with traditional Mexican foods, Mexican and Afro-Cubano music, testimonios (stories about our lives), and fellowship. There was much dancing and enjoyment--but no booze. In fact, this event was held in front of a church!
SFBG: No booze?!!
Ortiz: It is important to understand that Cinco de Mayo has many dimensions. One the one hand, it has become a way for Mexican-Americans in the U.S. to reconnect with each other and their shared histories across the generations. On the other hand, Cinco de Mayo is now rapidly becoming a cultural event celebrated by white, Asian, as well as African American communities. In fact, all of these communities were well-represented at the Davenport event that I attended.
There is also a political dimension to Cinco de Mayo, as it enjoyed a great renaissance during the days of the Chicano and Farm Worker movements of the 1960s. The popular Latino/Chicano theater group Culture Clash was created on Cinco de Mayo in 1984.
Finally, Cinco de Mayo is a family-centered event, which explains why the overwhelming majority of our celebrations on this day (especially the community sponsored events) are non-alcoholic.
On the other hand, you'll see many taverns and eating establishments putting up Mexican flags around this holiday as part of their campaign to sell beer, liquor, and "Mexican" food. Unfortunately, the general public is taught to associate Cinco de Mayo with booze and drunk party-goers.
SFBG: Speaking of party-goers, me and my friends are planning on bringing a piñata to the park later today, but we’re not sure if it’s insulting. Are you supposed to have a piñata on Cinco de Mayo?
Ortiz: Yes, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration designed for people of all ages, especially young children! There is usually a special time set aside during the event for the children to take center stage around the piñata. Part of the symbolism of this dimension of Cinco de Mayo is to acknowledge that our young people are the future of our communities and we place great hopes in them.
SFBG: Where is the biggest Cinco de Mayo party?
Ortiz: The largest Cinco de Mayo commemorations are held in the major metropolitan centers of the U.S. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Houston all have major events. It's hard to calculate which event is the largest because many Cinco de Mayo celebrations stretch across several days.
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Comments (3)
Culture appropriation such as the one demonstrated by Justin Juul, shows just how ignorant and disrespectful certain groups can be towards history. While you beat on your pinata and get drunk, people will be conmemorating a historical event that not only involves Mexican struggles but American as well. While people choose to propagate and defame Cinco de Mayo, instead they should stop ignoring the facts.
Posted by Marisol Pineda | May 5, 2008 04:39 PM
Not only is the interviewer disrespectful to a cultural commemoration practice in the U.S for many years, but he is being disrespectful to an important scholar who has contributed to our society by bringing historical awareness on the histories of African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. Important scholars like him are the most needed in our educational system in California in order to overturn racist stereotypes of African Americans and Latinos, such as the ones the interviewer reinforced with his comments and image.
Posted by Igdalia Rojas | May 5, 2008 05:07 PM
Really? How is someone being disrespectful by asking questions? And how are the questions themselves disrespectful? If you're angry about how the holiday -- and it is a holiday, even for the humorless -- has evolved, then I don't think you should direct that anger at someone who's actually doing something to inform himself and others. Whether you like it or not, Cinco means nothing but a party to most people. Cheers to Justin for talking to someone in the community and going deeper.
Posted by Marke B. | May 5, 2008 06:48 PM